Dreams Are Part Of the Success Equation

The dream of being a caterer and creating a successful business is alive and important for many people. But are all dreams worth pursuing? Recently I’ve had the pleasure of speaking with two people who have the catering dream uppermost in their minds. Their dreams are slightly different, but there are important common elements as well.

One, who just finished a two-year program at a prestigious culinary school, called to get some questions answered. Let’s call this dreamer “the rookie.” The other has owned an off-premise catering company for nine years. We’ll call this dreamer “the veteran.”

They are at different stages in the business lifecycle of catering: The rookie is facing the launch of a new business. The veteran is concerned about continued growth in an ongoing operation. Both are driven, motivated and energized by their dreams. They are filled with the promise of what will be.

What is interesting to me is that they are both completely confident of success; doubt doesn’t seem to be anywhere in their thinking. The rookie believes the dream of helping people do special events and celebrate their lives is reachable with passion and a little luck. The veteran is dreaming of building a banquet space and is convinced that not doing it would be the biggest mistake in the life of the business.

In neither case are these dreams backed up with the research that would provide information needed to make a correct decision on whether the dreams are valid business decisions or not. In fact, during my phone discussions with the rookie and the veteran, each time I suggested a possible hole in their thinking, they filled it in with the energy of their dreams. Visualizing a dream in your mind is not the same as creating and living it. The dream needs to be supported with solid thinking and discussion with your mentors and trusted friends.

The very nature of a caterer’s personality is to rush in and take charge or save the day. Most caterers never think of saying “no” to a potential booking. Perhaps this is why some caterers make decisions based solely on their dreams, without the mental footwork that needs to be done first.

Caterers should consider the word “maybe” before acting on their latest dream or idea. “Maybe” means you haven’t made a decision yet. This slows the process so you can take a little more time to do your research and make the best decision.

I’m not challenging anyone’s dreams; most successful companies are built on dreams. But just because something feels like a sure thing, doesn’t mean it is a sure thing. The definition for the word “business” in any dictionary doesn’t include “dreams.” Instead, you find words like “work,” “money,” “time,” “knowledge,” “expertise” and “marketplace.” These words aren’t dream crushers, they’re dream enablers: You need them to make a dream become reality.

Note: I’ve taken this directly from my newest book Secrets Of Catering Management. It’s a very cool book.